Faded 30's film star Barbara Jean Trenton (a fine performance by Ida Lupino) lives in self-imposed exile watching 16mm prints of her old movies in a secluded room in her mansion. Both her maid Sally (well played by Alice Frost) and her loyal agent Danny Weiss (the always excellent Martin Balsam) try to get Barbara Jean to accept the fact that she's no longer the young starlet she used to be.
Director Mitchell Leisen does a solid job of crafting a wistful mood. Rod Sterling's serviceable script not only frankly addresses the ageism and sexism that exists in show business, but also makes a valid point about the perils of basking too much in one's past triumphs. Lupino and Balsam do stand-out work in their roles; they receive sturdy support from Frost, Jerome Cowan as practical ex-actor turned supermarket tycoon Jerry Hearndan, and Ted de Corsia as mean studio head Marty Sall. Alas, this episode suffers a bit from the fact that Barbara Jean is too vain and self-centered to be considered a sympathetic character and for playing too much through most of its duration like a standard straight drama on the dark aspects of show business. Fortunately, this episode is redeemed in the long run by the oddly haunting fantasy ending.
Director Mitchell Leisen does a solid job of crafting a wistful mood. Rod Sterling's serviceable script not only frankly addresses the ageism and sexism that exists in show business, but also makes a valid point about the perils of basking too much in one's past triumphs. Lupino and Balsam do stand-out work in their roles; they receive sturdy support from Frost, Jerome Cowan as practical ex-actor turned supermarket tycoon Jerry Hearndan, and Ted de Corsia as mean studio head Marty Sall. Alas, this episode suffers a bit from the fact that Barbara Jean is too vain and self-centered to be considered a sympathetic character and for playing too much through most of its duration like a standard straight drama on the dark aspects of show business. Fortunately, this episode is redeemed in the long run by the oddly haunting fantasy ending.